The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles such as panty liners, sanitary napkins and adult incontinence devices that are designed and adapted to be worn in a crotch portion of a wearer""s undergarment and to receive and contain menses and other vaginal discharges.
Disposable sanitary napkins generally comprise an absorbent element interposed between a liquid pervious body-contacting layer (often referred to as a topsheet or cover layer) and a liquid impervious protective barrier layer (often referred to as a barrier sheet). The absorbent element is capable of receiving and containing liquids such as menses and other vaginal liquid discharges. The body-contacting layer is intended to provide a comfortable and dry-feeling contact with a user""s body surfaces while allowing free passage of liquid therethrough into the subjacent absorbent element. The protective barrier is intended to retain the absorbed liquids within the absorbent element and thus prevent the absorbed liquids from soiling the user""s garments. Disposable sanitary napkins are generally provided with an adhesive attachment means for securing the napkin to the inner crotch area of the user""s undergarments. Protective side flaps may optionally be provided along the longitudinal sides of the napkin which are adapted to be folded over the edges of a crotch portion of the user""s undergarment.
Disposable sanitary napkins generally come in one of three basic configurations based upon their intended use. A first product configuration is intended for the absorption of medium to high menstrual flows and is constructed with a relatively thick central absorbent element having a relatively high absorptive capacity. While having a relatively high absorptive capacity, the bulkiness of the absorbent member may cause a certain degree of wearing discomfort. A second configuration of sanitary napkins is intended for light or low menstrual flows. These sanitary napkins have a thin flexible structure and are commonly referred to as panty-liners or panty-shields. A third type of sanitary napkin is intended for absorption of medium to high menstrual flows and has a thin, flexible structure and has a relatively high absorptive capacity. The relatively high absorptive capacity is achieved by providing the thin absorbent element with superabsorbent particles. These sanitary napkins are commonly referred to as ultra-thin sanitary napkins.
Another class of sanitary napkins has recently been developed that combines one or more of these concepts into a single compound sanitary napkin. A compound sanitary napkin has a primary menstrual pad and an undergarment protector that are joined to one another to form a unitary structure. Compound sanitary napkins of this design have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,130 to DesMarais and Statutory Invention Registration H1614 to Mayer et al. In accordance with these references, the primary menstrual pad is intended to absorb the bulk of the bodily liquids discharged by the user, while the undergarment protector is intended to protect the user""s garments from soiling. In use, the relative freedom of movement between the primary menstrual pad and the undergarment protector serves to maintain the primary menstrual pad adjacent the user""s crotch region while the undergarment protector remains associated with the user""s undergarment.
The primary menstrual pad is disclosed as being narrow enough to at least reside partially within the external genitalia. Optionally, the primary menstrual pad may be wider than the width of the labia majora, but the primary menstrual pad should exhibit a lateral compression or conformability at relatively low forces, such as the forces exerted by the soft tissue of the female external genitalia, such that a portion of the primary menstrual pad is able to at least reside partially within the external female genitalia. By being conformable at relatively low forces, the primary absorbent member remains comfortable during use. In addition, the primary menstrual pad preferably exhibits a resilient recovery to enable the pad to conform to the body as the pad and body interface is subjected to shape changes. As the primary menstrual pad is made narrower to fit the body, the undergarment protector preferably remains sufficiently wide enough to provide a stable attachment to the wearer""s undergarment and to sufficiently cover the undergarment to protect it from soiling.
In accordance with the present invention there has been provided a novel compound sanitary napkin comprising a primary absorbent member and a secondary absorbent member. The primary absorbent member has a contoured shape wherein the width of the primary absorbent member varies along its length such that the width in a central region is less than the width of the primary absorbent member in at least one of the transverse end regions. The primary absorbent member includes an absorbent core and a liquid pervious topsheet superimposed on a body facing side of the absorbent core and a separate layer of flexible material forming a backsheet superimposed on a garment facing side of the absorbent core, the topsheet and backsheet covering opposite major surfaces of the absorbent core. The backsheet may optionally be formed from a flexible liquid impervious polymeric film to act as a liquid barrier on the garment facing side of the absorbent core. The secondary absorbent member includes a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious barrier sheet joined to the topsheet and an absorbent element positioned between the topsheet and the barrier sheet. The primary absorbent member is affixed to at least a portion of the secondary absorbent member by union means in the transverse end regions and may optionally be affixed to the secondary absorbent member along a substantial portion of the length of the primary absorbent member. The secondary absorbent member preferably comprises an adhesive attachment means for securing the compound sanitary napkin to the crotch portion of the user""s undergarment. In addition, the secondary absorbent member preferably comprises flexible, protective side flaps along the longitudinal sides of the absorbent member which are adapted to be folded over the edges of a crotch portion of the user""s undergarment. The uppermost primary absorbent member has a length, a width, opposite transverse ends and a center region intermediate the transverse ends. The lowermost secondary absorbent member is located under the primary absorbent member, and also has a length, a width, and opposite transverse ends.
Also provided in accordance with the present invention is a novel compound sanitary napkin adapted to be placed in a crotch portion of an undergarment and to be worn in a groin region of a female user. The compound sanitary napkin comprises an uppermost primary absorbent member and a lowermost secondary absorbent member. The primary absorbent member includes a body-facing liquid pervious topsheet, a garment facing backsheet and an absorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet, the primary absorbent member having a first transverse end and an opposite second transverse end defining therebetween a length. The primary absorbent member also has a first longitudinal side edge and an opposite second longitudinal side edge defining therebetween a width. Located between the first and second transverse ends is a center region. The first transverse end, the second transverse end and the center region each having a respective width, wherein the width of the center region is less than the width of the first transverse end. The secondary absorbent member includes a body-facing liquid pervious topsheet, a garment-facing liquid impervious barrier sheet and an absorbent core between the topsheet and the barrier sheet. The barrier sheet is joined to the topsheet around respective peripheral edge portions of the topsheet and barrier sheet to form a liquid impervious flange seal that defines the outer side edges of the secondary absorbent member. The primary absorbent member is affixed to at least a portion of the liquid pervious topsheet of the secondary absorbent member and the width of the primary absorbent member in a center region thereof is adapted to span the groin region of the user and to contact and gently compress the user""s labia majora.